"We Created a Shabbat Hosting Network So Nobody Has to Be Alone"

Almost everyone knows individuals living alone. It could be a single mother with her five children, a widow, bachelors or bachelorettes, new immigrants, or anyone who finds themselves alone.

In everyday life, it's not easy, but during Shabbat, it's particularly challenging. When you talk to Rabbi Reuven, who insists on not revealing his full name, he shares how in recent years he encountered numerous cases where people were forced to spend Shabbat alone, which deeply troubled him.

"I sometimes dabble in matchmaking, which exposed me to older singles in severe loneliness and how hard 'being alone' is," he says. "Over time, I realized they're not alone. Many people see each Shabbat as a project, searching weekly for a family to host them, even just for meals. It's unpleasant, stressful, and repeats every week. Encountering more such cases made me feel a need to do a kindness," he explains.

Reuven spends most of his time studying and didn't initially know how to start this initiative, but the idea was clear — "We need to connect families who can host with those seeking hospitality. The question was how to move this forward."

"So Nobody Will Be Alone"

During those days, Reuven approached various local newspapers to request they publish a community appeal for free, urging people to volunteer for this important hosting mission. "From the start, I decided the organization would not involve any fundraising — no expenses whatsoever. It's not a charity and we have no costs. Families host voluntarily, and ads are provided for free," he shares.

One local paper agreed to publish the ad, requiring an immediate decision on a name for the organization. "We decided on 'Tent of Abraham - Hospitality G’mach', a name associated with Abraham our forefather," he shares, "and added the vision beneath: 'So nobody eats Shabbat meals alone'.

The paper was distributed on Thursday, and by Friday morning, a young woman from South America contacted me, explaining she's studying at a Jewish seminary here, but there are Shabbats during the year when it doesn't operate, and each student must find their own hosting arrangement. I asked where she lived, and she said in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, Jerusalem. At that time, I had no database of families and knew of no suitable family. But within an hour, a surprising call came from a family in Ramat Shlomo who saw the ad and wanted to offer their home for hosting — sheer divine intervention. Hours before Shabbat, I connected them, and the young woman found lodging. She became my first database entry, and from there we grew," he observes, "I saw it as a sign from Hashem, who is guiding us."

The Aspiration: A Massive Network

Today, by the grace of God, the database is large, encompassing many families categorized by Jerusalem neighborhoods. "Some families we reached through random calls listed in the Orthodox phonebook, simply calling to introduce ourselves and our idea. Many opened their hearts and joined. Other families responded to free advertisements in newspapers. These aren't regular ads, but when space is available, local papers are eager to participate, leading to more hosting families joining."

As the organization grew, Rabbi Reuven appointed coordinators in each city neighborhood, maintaining lists of numerous hosting families and effectively bridging guests and hosts.

Rabbi Reuven emphasizes that despite the large database, the work has just begun. "With divine aid, we have around 60 hosting families in Jerusalem; also several in Bnei Brak, yet it's insufficient. Our goal is coverage across the nation, leaving no request for hosting unanswered."

(Photo: shutterstock)

Meanwhile, the guest community is expanding. "Not only do we address lonely individuals, but also more audiences. Over time, we discovered returnees to Judaism who find staying at home difficult on Shabbat if their families are not observant. They seek solutions, which we are pleased to provide. Furthermore, we respond to requests for hospital visitors on Shabbat or those in unfamiliar areas needing sudden hospitality. We've also been asked to arrange host families for teenagers in strained parental conflict situations. Occasionally, couples newly immigrated look for varied Shabbat experiences, and we strive to meet those needs and match each with suitable families.

"Conversely, some are embarrassed to reach out directly, so acquaintances contact us to report on their behalf, providing phone numbers. We then contact those people, offering them hosting opportunities.

"A case in point involved connecting a solitary woman with a host family. I provided her number to the family, and two hours before Shabbat, the host called, saying they couldn't reach her. The woman felt too embarrassed to show up, but the host was remarkable — she simply drove to pick her up. It was incredibly moving to hear...

"Another time we linked with a 50-year-old man sleeping nightly on a bench in Sacher Park, for lack of better options... In such cases, we intervene swiftly. While homelessness is a global issue, we cannot accept such situations within our Jewish community. We must care for these individuals; it's our fundamental duty.

Reuven notes that over the years, more reasons necessitating full hosting, including accommodation, have emerged. "Hence, we specifically seek families capable of complete hosting — meals and accommodations."

"It's important to understand that alongside all the hosting families, there's a matching influx of guests. Demand rises steadily, and host family numbers are always insufficient. For instance, we frequently receive requests from Beit Shemesh, where we find few hosting families. Even in Jerusalem, despite our extensive lists, a shortfall remains."

Need a Shabbat meal soon? Hospitality G’mach phone number: 052-7601284